Flyers Fall Short as Blackhawks Win Cup

The Flyers lost to the Blackhawks last night and thus ended their amazing run at the Stanley Cup, and had to watch Chicago celebrate their Stanley Cup victory on our home ice.

Much like the rest of this postseason, the Flyers did everything they could to win this game, and left it all out on the ice; but in the end, it wasn’t enough. The Flyers were outplayed from the start of the game early, and Michael Leighton had to keep the Flyers in the game early. The end of the first period saw a 1-1 score. The Flyers got on the board first in the 2nd period, when Danny Briere continued his great postseason and roofed a shot over Niemi. However, the Blackhawks responded with 2 in the period to take a 3-2 2nd period intermission lead.

The Flyers really dominated the 3rd period, as they needed to in order to stay in the game. Finally, the Flyers were able to beat Niemi with about 4 minutes left in the game, as Scott Hartnell notched his 2nd goal of the game. Once again, the Hartnell-Briere-Leino line was easily the best line on the team, and was the most effective line of the postseason.

Once overtime started, the Flyers had the momentum and were outplaying the Blackhawks, getting most of the scoring chances at this point. However, all it takes is 1 shot on net, and Patrick Kane provided just that. On a very innocent looking play in the Flyers zone, Kane had the puck on the side, and really nowhere to go with it. He made a couple moves, got some room past Kimmo Timonen, and sent a puck towards Leighton, who was covering the post. The puck somehow snuck through Leighton, and into the net to give the Blackhawks their first Stanley Cup since 1961. It was a pretty weak goal to be honest, but that is also what great players do; they score big goals when it doesn’t look like they have anything or anywhere to go with the puck.

The Blackhawks were probably the better team, I would say overall they probably had more chances than the Flyers, especially in 5 on 5 situations, and when the game was tied. The Blackhawks seemed to come out at the start of games and really outplay the Flyers. The Flyers seemed to play their best hockey when they were down in games. That isn’t to say the Flyers didn’t play well or Chicago dominated the series, because I don’t think either of those are even close to true; it just seems like the better team overall won. Not the better team by much, but the better team nonetheless. If the Flyers had been able to steal 1 of the first 2 games in Chicago, it would have been a completely different series, and probably a different outcome. As the road team, you have to win 1 of those first 2 games.

Either way, it was a great season and everything. Even though the Flyers disappointed at points, and were very up and down, they still made it to the Stanley Cup Finals which can’t be considered a disappointment as a season. It is disappointing, and will be going forward, but the season as a whole is not a disappointment. Even before the season when the Flyers were considered one of the top teams in the East, you still would have put them behind the Penguins and Capitals in the pecking order.

We did get to see some unbelievable moments. The final regular season game win in the shootout. Beating up on the Devils handily, who routinely beat up on the Flyers the past 2 decades. Coming from 3-0 down against the Bruins – not only in the series – but also in Game 7, to advance. Watching Brian Boucher play great hockey, getting injured, and then watching Michael Leighton pick up right where Boucher left off. Whooping up on the Canadiens, while collecting 3 shutouts in the Eastern Conference Finals. And then finally hitting the wall and losing in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers did their best, and managed to not fold when they got down 2-0 in the series, and make it a series at least.

Most of the team will be back next year to try to make a run at another Stanley Cup appearance. It will be much tougher next season, as we still will go into the season behind the Penguins and Capitals, as teams expected to win the Eastern Conference. Either way, it was a great season, with a disappointing end, and we can look forward to hopefully winning it all next season.

Flyers Drop Game 1

...Well I guess that is not how things were drawn up before the game by either team. The Flyers lost game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals 6-5 to go down in the series 1-0. The game was a crazy game to say the least, and each team had multiple leads during the contest.

The Flyers got on the board early and often in Game 1. Unfortunately for them, so did the Blackhawks. The Flyers could never seem to get any momentum going, as once the Flyers would score, it seemed like the Blackhawks wasted no time getting the goal back. The Flyers opened the scoring in the 1st period, as Ville Leino fired a puck towards the net that went off a defenseman and made its way in. The Blackhawks came right back and score 1 minute later. The Blackhawks scored again a few minutes after that, but the Flyers answered with 2 more before the period was over, goals from Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere, to make it a 3-2 Flyers lead at the first intermission.

If you flipped over to Comcast at this point, you could see Roy Halladay complete the 20th perfect game in MLB history. Maybe this would be a good sign for a great Philadelphia sports night.

Unfortunately, the Blackhawks scored 1 minute into the 2nd period on a 2 on 1, and the game was tied at 3. About 7 minutes into the period, Blair Betts scored a goal, but again, the Blackhawks had an answer; the Blackhawks scored 2 minutes after Blair's tally to make it 4-4, and then scored again 5 minutes after that. Michael Leighton was yanked after this goal, a move I did not agree with. For the 2nd straight period, the Flyers scored in the final minute and a half of the period, with Arron Asham scoring in his 2nd straight game to make the score 5-5 going into the 3rd.

Michael Leighton was clearly not playing well, and I understand getting him out of the game in a game he is playing poorly, and tryint to re-fresh for Game 2. However, the Flyers were only down 1 goal at the time Leighton was pulled, and the game was tied going into the 3rd period. I would have rather had Leighton in the net for the 3rd period of a winnable game than Brian Boucher. The only reason to me to pull a goalie is when a goalie is playing poorly, and you have basically conceded that the game would be lost. This would have been a fine situation if the score were 5-1 or 5-2. However, the Flyers were only down 1 goal, and you want to keep the goalie out there who gives you the best shot at winning or getting on a hot streak - and to me that is Leighton. I'm not defending Leighton's play last night, because it was subpar, but I still would have kept him out there.

The 3rd period slowed down and calmed down a little bit, and Antti Niemi, the Blackhawks goalie, who had been struggling all game, along with Leighton, turned his game around and shut down the Flyers. I believe Leighton could have done the same if he was out there. The Blackhawks scored what would be the game winning goal 8 minutes in, on a fairly weak goal where Boucher bit on a shot fake and was out of position for the shot. The Blackhawks then clamped down on defense, and the Flyers never got any great chances towards the end of the game, and only finished the 3rd period with 6 shots in the period. Before the 3rd period, the Flyers were outshooting and outchancing the Blackhawks.

Either way, the Blackhawks really had to win this game more than the Flyers did. The Flyers really need to try to get Game 2 now, and come back home with the series tied 1-1. The Flyers got this crazy game out of the way; they now need to re-focus, relax, and play some better hockey all around. The Flyers seem to be able to play well playing fast, or slow hockey, but I think the Flyers need to try to slow the pace down a little bit. The Flyers need to do a better job in the neutral zone of not allowing the Blackhawks to come through and gain entry to the Flyers zone so easily. If the Flyers can win Game 2, they have still accomplished their goal of splitting in Chicago.

Micahel Leighton needs to step up his game, and show that he can look comfortable in between the pipes, because he never got into a rhythm. Also, the Flyers need to show they can hold onto a lead because blowing 3 leads in the game in unacceptable, even if they are only 1 goal leads, and early in the game. After they take the lead, if they do in Game 2, they need to do a better job on defense of not giving up shots in the slot, and just taking advantage of whatever scoring chances they get, much like Game 4 in Montreal.

Game 2 is not necessarily a must win, but if they do not take it, it makes both Game 3 and Game 4 at home must win games for the Flyers. A win in Game 2 would also allow the Flyers to calm down a little bit, and play their game coming back home for Games 3 and 4. They now just need to re-group, and execute Peter Laviolette's game plan for Game 2.

Flyers Continue Momentum in Game 1

The Flyers beat the Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in convincing fashion, winning the contest 6-0. I really was not sure what to expect from this series, as the Flyers came in after dominating the Devils, and then having the historic comeback against the Bruins. The Canadiens entered the game as the #8 seed, but beat the #1 seed Capitals, and the defending champion Penguins.

The Flyers scored early and often in this game, taking a 1-0 lead on the power play just 4 minutes into the game as Braydon Coburn, who has been solid all postseason got rewarded with his first goal of the postseason, much like van Riemsdyk's tally in Game 7 against the Bruins. Speaking of James van Riemsdyk, he had another good game, and put in a goal in the 2nd to make it 2-0. The Flyers continued the onslaught from there, and added goals from Briere, and Gagne in the 2nd period, and then Hartnell and Giroux in the 3rd period to win the game 6-0. Matt Carle and Ville Leino both had 2 assists in the game.

Obviously scoring 6 goals will be the big story of the game, but Michael Leighton obviously stopped every shot that came his way, and played a great game. He wasn't challenged a whole lot, but did make some very nice saves early, including 13 in the first period alone to keep the Flyers head, and allowed the Flyers to put the game away.

The game wasn't necessary as lopsided as the score way, both teams had chances and opportunities to score, the Flyers just took advantage of theirs, and Leighton greatly outplayed Halak, who was pulled after the Flyers 4th goal. You have to be encouraged with the way the Flyers played, and I didn't even mention Mike Richards and Chris Pronger in the summary.

Hopefully the Flyers put this game behind them quickly, and move onto Game 2, and hold down home ice. They still need to come out and continue their strong forechecking and get to the Canadiens when they are not playing well. We have seen numerous times where the Flyers will score 6 goals one game, and then 0 or 1 the next, so hopefully the Flyers come out and play well in Game 2. The Flyers have now outscored their opponents 10-0 since going down 3-0 in Game 7 against the Bruins. Either way, very positive and encouraging sign to start the series with.

Flyers Win!!!!!

The Flyers capped off a historic comeback, one of the best in playoff sports history, to beat the Bruins 4-3, in a game that featured an unbelievable comeback of its own.

Only 3 teams in the history of sports, and 2 teams in the history of the NHL had ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit. The Flyers not only did that, but also fell behind the Bruins by a score of 3-0 in the 1st period, only to still come back and win the game 4-3 with a 3rd period goal.

The Bruins were all over the Flyers in the 1st period, and the Flyers took 2 stupid penalties, both of which the Bruins capitalized on to make it a very quick 2-0 lead. The Bruins then had numerous chances to make it 3-0, and then finally did that on Lucic's 2nd goal of the game.

At that point, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette called a timeout, in what turned out to be one of the best timeouts in Philadelphia sports history. He told Michael Leighton to calm down, and if he did not allow a goal the rest of the game, the Flyers would win. He also said that someway they needed to get a goal before the 1st period was over.

The Flyers would do both of those. James Van Riemsdyk, who has been very back this postseason, scored on a semi-fluky goal that slid under the pad of Tuukka Rask. This accomplished exactly what the Flyers needed by getting the score back to a manageable 3-1 deficit going into the first intermission.

The Flyers came out on a mission in the 2nd period, and really dominated this period and got back in the game. Scott Hartnell jumped on a rebound early in the 2nd period and roofed a backhand to make the score 3-2. Shortly after, Danny Briere threw a puck in front of the net, which somehow deflected into the net to make it 3-3. The Flyers actually appeared to score again later in the period, and it was reviewed, but was not called goal. Sure looked like a goal to me.

The game went to the 2nd intermission tied at 3, and the Flyers had all the momentum. The Flyers continued to play well into the 3rd period, and even though the period was fairly even, the Flyers did have the majority of the scoring chances.

A too many men of the ice penalty gave the Flyers a power play a little more than halfway through the 3rd period, and Simon Gagne scored as the power play was winding down. The Flyers held off the Bruins the last 8 minutes of the game to cap off one of the best moments in sports history.

I would say that this victory ranks up there among the top 10, possibly top 5 Philadelphia victories I have ever watched in my lifetime. Just flat out unbelievable. Down 3-0 in the series, then down 3-0 in Game 7 in Boston, only to come back and win against a team that supposedly locks it down defensively when they get a lead. Incredible.

Hopefully the Flyers can continue this little momentum and run they have going now. It helps that they have home ice advantage in the Eastern Conference Finals as the #7 seed, because the #8 seed Montreal Canadiens await them. Game 1 of that series is Sunday night at the Wachovia Center.

Flyers Make It a Series

The Flyers won last night 4-0 in Boston to actually make this 2nd round series competitive. The Flyers still are up against the wall, and still need to take 2 more in a row, starting tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

The Flyers really outplayed the Bruins in Game 4 in Boston from start the finish. The Scott Hartnell-Ville Leino-Danny Briere line did most of the damage, as Ville Leino was flying all over the ice. Take a look back, and you can see that we reported during the first round series against the Devils that Ville Leino should be playing, and possibly taking Scott Hartnell's spot in the lineup. Leino got the Flyers on the board in the first, and did most of the damage on the next 2 goals, getting an assist on 1, and skating circles around the Bruins to keep the puck in the offensive zone for a Hartnell goal the other time. Beisdes Leino, and Hartnell, Simon Gagne had 2 goals to close out the game.

Speaking of Scott Hartnell, he finally showed up for a game. He scored for the first time in 22 games, and did have a good game overall, skating better, and being more aggressive. This line will need to continue the strong play if the Flyers want to win the series.

The game was somewhat strange in that you had the Flyers really dominating, the Bruins taking dumb penalties, and then giving up in the 3rd period taking cheap shots at the Flyers the entire period. The Flyers, being the most hated team by officials in sports, would have gotten suspensions thrown their way if they had done some of the things the Bruins were doing in the 3rd. Claude Giroux was boarded late in the 2nd period, continued to play for the rest of the 2nd, but then sat out the 3rd period. It looks like this was more precautionary and that Giroux will be good to go Game 6.

Brian Boucher, however, will not be good to go for Game 6, and will probably miss the rest of the playoffs with a strained MCL. Boucher has been very good in these playoffs, and will definitely be missed, but I'm not so sure Michael Leighton is much of a downgrade from Boucher, even though Leighton does not have the playoff experience that Boucher does. Leighton saved all 14 shots he faced after he entered the game last night, but the Flyers did a very good job defensively, really for the first time all series.

Game 6 will be important, and the home crowd will need to get the Flyers into the game. Kotite's Corner will be present in the crowd cheering on the orange and black. Game 6 will start at 8 o'clock.

Flyers Need to Take Next 2

The Flyers get back on their home ice tonight in a must win game in the 2nd round of the playoffs against the Bruins, who currently hold a 2-0 series lead.

The first two games of the series, both in Boston, have been fairly evenly matched, with the Flyers playing well for stretches and the Bruins playing well for stretches. Unfortunately, the Flyers have been playing catch up in both games, and then unable to keep their momentum going at the end of games. The Bruins got a fortuitous bounce of the puck in overtime in Game 1 to win that game, and then got another bounce with the puck ending up in front of the net that they scored with less than 3 minutes left in Game 2.

Both games really could have gone either way, and the Flyers are unfortunate to be down 2-0, but they are down 2-0 nonetheless. Getting back in front of the home crowd should do a lot for the Flyers, and help them get back in the series. The Flyers won both home games in their first round series, also Games 3 and 4, and will need to do the same against the Bruins, or else they will have to come back from a 3-1 deficit.

The work starts tonight in Game 3. The Flyers need to get some contributions from players they wouldn’t normally get them from with the injuries. Carter, Gagne, and Laperriere remain out with injuries. Scott Hartnell also has yet to show up in the playoffs, but it’s not due to injury, it’s due to the fact that he sucks all of a sudden. Mike Richards, Chris Pronger, and Brian Boucher have been the 3 best Flyers throughout the playoffs so far probably. Boucher did not have a very good Game 2, and should have not let in a couple of the Bruins goals that game, but overall has been solid. Boucher will need to step it up back at home. Danny Briere really found his game at the end of the Devils series, and has continued it into this series. Claude Giroux has also been a beast, and Ville Leino had a very good Game 2 assisting on both Flyers goals.

The Flyers need to continue to rely on these guys, but also need Giroux to step it up in this series, as he did all of his damage so far in the Devils series. Also, even though he is young, JVR needs to step it up as well, as he has a lot of skill and is flying around the ice, just has not produced the point results. It is unfortunate that Scott Hartnell has been killing this team with his play, but he has just been awful. He looks like he forgot how to play hockey. I would be calling for Hartnell to be a healthy scratch, but that is not really feasible with all the injuries.

Either way, no matter who it is, the Flyers need everyone to elevate their game to win these next 2 games. You want to pull out a solid win tonight, you don’t want a game that is 2-2 towards the end and anything can happen. Also, the Flyers need to get the first goal tonight, and not play from behind. Both games, the Bruins have gotten on the board early in the first period, and that cannot happen tonight.

Flyers Drop Game 2

The Flyers opening round series against the Devils is tied up after the first 2 games at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. The Devils came back in Game 2, and beat the Flyers with 2 late third period goals to win the game 5-3.

The Devils wasted no time getting on the score sheet in this game, with a short handed goal early in the first period by Zach Parise, less than 3 minutes into the game. The Flyers however, didn't let the early goal affect them, and came back with 2 goals in the first period to take a 2-1 first intermission lead, even though the Devils, like most of Game 1 had control of the action.

The Devils continued to push the pace in the 2nd period scoring a goal about 4 minutes in to make the score 2-2. This was really the first bad goal that Boucher has allowed in the postseason, as he led a fairly weak wrist shot from the point creep through his pads. Each team added a goal later in the period to go into the 3rd period tied at 3. The Devils again controlled most of the 2nd period.

In the 3rd period, the Flyers actually appeared to control most of the action, and definitely had their chances to take the lead and take a 2-0 series lead, but Martin Brodeur shut the Flyers down. The Flyers finally outshot the Devils in the 3rd period, which is the first period they have done so in the first 2 games of the series. However, it was the Devils who got on the board, with ex-Flyer Dainius Zubrus scoring with about 4 minutes left. The Devils would add an empty net goal, and thus go on to tie the series up at 1.

The Flyers have too many supposed "stars" on their team who either underachieve like crazy or just plain aren't star players. Jeff Carter is coming back from an injury, but he still needs to step it up in the playoffs. Carter had his chances this game, but came up small. Carter was the Flyers leading point getter most of the season, and needs to stop playing soft in big games. Danny Briere is basically a joke on the ice, and is stealing money from the Flyers. He tries out there, but just isn't good enough or big enough to get it done anymore. Also, Scott Hartnell is flat out not a very good player. He's a good guy to have on your team, and a guy you definitely root for, but he doesn't play smart, and doesn't bring much else to the table unless he is mixing it up with an opponent. He definitely should not be in the game at the end when you need a goal, because he is not very good. I honestly think they should healthy scratch Hartnell, and play Ville Leino next game.

Either way, The Flyers need to get a jolt on energy in the next 2 home games, and at worst take 1 of them. The Flyers should play better being at home, they do seem to usually respond to the great home crowds. Game 3 is Sunday at 6.

Flyers Lose Emery... And More Games

Flyers goalie Ray Emery will miss 6 weeks, and will undergo surgery to repair torn muscle in the lower abdominal area. Brian Boucher is the starter for the time being, and the Flyers recalled goaltender Johan Backlund from the Adirondack Phantoms.

This is more bad news for the Flyers to go along with the fact that they have dropped to last place in the Atlantic Division, 13th place in the Eastern Conference, can't seem to find a way to win a game at all, and can barely seem to put the puck in the net. The Flyers have lost 5 games in a row, and 8 of 9, with the only win being a 2-1 win against the Islanders... who by the way are ahead of the Flyers in the standings. Along with the Sixers, the 2 winter Philly teams are currently on an 0-15 streak, and 1-19. The Flyers have only scored 15 goals in the last 9 games. In the early season, the Flyers were at one point among the leaders in goals scored in the NHL.

When you looked at this Flyers team at the end of last season, you saw a team that was very solid on offense, but not very good at defense, and average at the goaltender position. The Flyers addressed the goalie situation, and also brought in one of the best defenseman in the league in Chris Pronger. Going into this season, you still had to feel good about the Flyers offense. As I mentioned above, the Flyers got off a very good start, and were scoring a lot of goals, as expected. They have since hit a wall, and have been unable to get out of the current funk. The funk has cost John Stevens his job, and we need to hope new coach Peter Laviolette can get this team scoring goals soon. Guys like Scott Hartnell really need to step up their games. The offenseman on this team need to stop playing average and become stars. There needs to be a sense of urgency and not complacency.

The NHL season is a long one, and teams can go through stretches like this and still bounce back, but the Flyers are very close right now to falling out of contention. Chris Pronger, who has played great this season, understandably does not want to step on anyone's (Mike Richards) toes on this team being the new guy, and get in some people's faces, but I think it is time to let Chris Pronger do what he needs to do. Pronger is a natural leader, and I'm not sure Mike Richards is... off the ice at least. I don't believe however that you need to take the Captaincy away from Mike Richards. If you did that, it could have some serious negative effects on Richards progression as a player and a leader of this team. I am not trying to bash Richards, because I like him a lot, and he will be the captain and leader of the future, but to hold Chris Pronger back from being a natural leader, is a waste of one of his strengths.

Pronger should be given full range to speak to the younger players in the locker room, and get the players fired up. Richards is a natural leader on the ice with his hard, aggressive play, but he is sometimes quiet and hesitant off the ice. Pronger is not, and we need someone to step it up. The Captaincy is an honor, but at the same time, that doesn't mean other players shouldn't be able to step up and lead when need be, especially when you have a guy like Chris Pronger in the locker room.

No matter what they do, and no matter who does it, whether it be Richards, Pronger, or Laviolette - someone has to step it up and start leading this team to get out of this funk. The Flyers are a good team, and have a lot of talent on the team. It may only take one win, or even one fluky goal to get this team going. Let's hope they get that win soon, because between the Flyers and Sixers, it feels like we haven't seen a win in about a month.

Flyers Lose Game 2 in OT

The Flyers Lost Game 2 against the Penguins 3-2 in overtime. It was an extremely tough pill to swallow, as the Flyers had leads of 1-0, and 2-1, but allowed the Penguins to tie the game both times, including late in the game on a power play. Once the game went into overtime, the Penguins got a two-man advantage, and scored late in the first OT.

The Flyers looked like a much better team in this game than they did in Game 1 when they were dominated. The Flyers actually played their game, which we knew they were capable of. The Flyers held a 2-1 lead, and should have pushed it to 3-1 halfway through the 3rd period when Fleury stoned Jeff Carter on what looked like an easy open net goal for Carter. It definitely helped that the Flyers got the 1st goal in the game, a power play goal in the first period by Scott Hartnell. It is imperative that the Flyers play from ahead in this series, and they really need to get the first goal in all games.

It's extremely tough to lose this game, and to watch the Flyers lose on a two-man penalty kill in overtime. The Flyers have to quickly put that game behind them, and look forward to Game 3. The Flyers did a lot of things right in Game 2, and need to carry that over to Game 3, and hopefully play even better since the game is at home. Our home crowd will be ready to go, and can get the Flyers players fired up to play. Obviously Game 3 is a must win for our boys.

Flyers Win... Hartnell The Man

the man

The Flyers beat the Carolina Hurricanes last night 6-5 in a shootout. The Flyers were down 4-1 going into the 3rd period, and stormed back with 4 goals in the 3rd period alone to tie the game, and then win in a shootout, which they rarely do.

The Flyers win moved them into a 2nd place tie with the Penguins. The Flyers have a game in hand on the Penguins, and a few games in hand on the 1st place Rangers. The Flyers have been playing real well lately, and winning close games. All of that is great, but we wanted to recognize Scott Hartnell for his performance not only against the Hurricanes, but really all season.


Scott Hartnell, who didn’t need a great game to already prove he was the man, had a hat trick, and got into a fight against the Hurricanes. Hartnell scored a 5-on-5 goal, and had a short-handed goal and power-play goal, both in the 3rd period to help with the Flyers comeback. He also got into a fight, and as you can see from the photos, pummeled Carolina tough guy Casey Borer.

A hat trick, and a fight. All in a night’s work for Scotty Hartnell.

This is what happens when you fight Hartnell